[edit] Noun
The word may be used amongst friends in an affectionate way and is used as a vernacularnoun in order to imply that one is very fond of something (I'm a bugger for Welsh cakes).[citation needed] It can also imply a negative tendency (He's a silly bugger for losing his keys) [i.e., He's a fool for often losing his keys].[citation needed]

The phrase bugger off (bug off in American English) means to go, or run, away; when used as a command it means "go away" ["get lost" or "leave me alone"] and can be seen to be used in much the same type of relatively softly 'offensive' manner.